11 Nov 2015

LINGERIE EDITORIAL: Yaourou Konaté Lehrmann

"Women can combine good looks and intelligence and can be many things at once: kind, funny, sexy, feminine, open, generous, vulnerable, gracious, honest and fierce.” –Yaourou Konaté Lehrmann
                                                                      


What’s your favourite looks?

Photographer: Rob Gardner
Model: Yaourou Konaté Lehrmann @ModelPlusLtd
Stylist: Beth Baker
Hair: Charlotte Maloney
Makeup Artist: Amna Sarwar

              

              

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. x

21 Sept 2015

Q&A – actor, singer and dancer Hervé Goffings presents his fascinating one-man show at the Cockpit and at the Southbank Centre.

Hervé Goffings is an actor, singer and dancer permanently living and working in London. He graduated from a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and a Masters in Performance in Musical Theatre at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow. At present he is rehearsing with director Michael Birch on a new version of his acclaimed One-Man show called HERVÉ. It is a provocative and humorous entertainment based on his incredible true life story. A busker of French African descent tells the extraordinary story of his adoption by an unconventional white Belgian couple who travelled the world.



1. How did your one-man show originally come about?
It all started with my end of year cabaret performance I did when I was a student at the RSAMD. Between songs I was telling a few life stories. After my performance the Principal of the college came to me and said: ‘You have an amazing life story, it needs to be shared. Why don’t you do a one-man show about it?’ That is how the idea originally came about. It took me a few years before I got enough confidence to start working on it but I kept my promise.

2. Do you find it more challenging being in a one-man show than working as a member of a cast?
Doing a one-man show is by far the most difficult thing I ever done as an actor. Not only you are on your own on stage but also the whole show is on your shoulder. It is a bit like walking on a tightrope for a whole hour without a security net. It requires a considerable amount of concentration and stamina as you cannot rest between scenes. Being in a cast is like being part of a team, a family, where everybody supports each other. In a one-man show it is different. You have no one in front of you to help you if you forget your lines for instance.

3. With a one man show the actor/audience relationship is so important; do you enjoy having to bounce off different audiences night after night?
I do enjoy bouncing off different audiences. Audiences are never the same and that makes it exciting and of course stressful too. Although they are coming to see you, you cannot take them for granted. Some audiences are more responsive than others and that is how it is. With experience you learn to read the crowd and you work accordingly.

4. What goes through your mind just before you go on-stage?
As a lot of performers I get nervous before going on stage. Some experienced and famous actors can even get sick. I don’t get sick but I can feel the stress and the anxiety getting into my body. If I am honest I wish I were somewhere else! I know that this is part of the process and one needs to accept it. The best thing you can do is fill your mind with positive thoughts that give you power, energy and enjoyment.  Once I am on stage I don’t want to be anywhere else.

5. How do you handle mistakes in a live show?
Oh…In my opinion the best way to handle mistakes on a live show is, prior to the performance, to accept that mistakes can occur and therefore are part of the performance. There are mistakes you can cover up and that the audience will never notice. If a mistake cannot be covered up the most important thing is to take care of the audience. If you are uncomfortable they will be too. So sometimes it is better to openly acknowledge a mistake and simply joke about it! Audiences love to be included!



6. If you hadn't been an actor, what would you have done?
It is likely that I would have worked in the Art sector. Having said that, when I was younger I was extremely interested in Politic studies as I wanted to be a diplomat as I can speak several languages and I love travelling.

7. If you could swap places with one person (living or dead) for a day, who would it be and why?
Probably Michael Jackson. Without him I don’t think I would have become a performer. He inspired me as he inspired many other artists. I imagine that being the ‘King of Pop’ for a day must be pretty cool! Also I would be able to do all his moves… Otherwise it must be a fascinating experience to be a woman too!

8. What are your favourites holidays destinations?
I often go on holidays to the South of France, Cannes on the French Riviera. I lived a part of my childhood there. I love the weather, the scenery and I have a lot of friends there. Also, I often go to Mexico where my parents are currently living. I would love to discover Australia.

9. What are your favourite books?
The House of Spirits (Isabel Allende), The Kite Runner (Khaled Hossini), The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos RuisZafon), Othello (Shakespeare), The Alchemist (Paolo Coehlo), The Animal Farm (George Orwell) and Five Weeks in Balloon (Jules Vernes).

10. What are your plans for the future?
At the moment I will be performing my show in different venues in London. I would love to take it on tour next summer. Also, the show is very educational as it covers themes such as race and individuality. It would be perfect to be shown in secondary schools. I am also planning to write a French version of it as I would love to perform it in France, but this will not be before 2017.

Q&A by Vanity Afro on 20/09/2015.


The forthcoming performances of the show HERVÉ will be at the Cockpit (12th November) during the Voilà! Festival and at the Southbank Centre (28th -29th November) during Being A Man Festival.  Please visit http://www.thecockpit.org.uk/voila or http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/ for further information and tickets.



Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. x

20 Apr 2015

You look hot in your glasses!

If you are unable to wear contact lenses and nor want to go through the anxiety of laser eyes, wear your glasses!!!



 Glasses are becoming more and more stylish; they are no just for nerd. It's also a fashion statement.


People who wear glasses tend to be seen as more intelligent, intelligence is  sexy....also appear trustworthy, an engaging quality.


Be comfortable, wear your glasses with confidence, confidence is very attractive.


Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X


27 Mar 2015

When thoughts and beauty meet...

In this post, I will share photos from male model Djebril Didier Zonga with some of my favourite’s quotes.

I am friendly, I am not flirting with you.


Good conversations stimulate me, mentally and physically.  

I was set free the day I decided to accept who I am.

No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart.

A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear.

In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.

If you are searching for that one person who will change your life, take a look in the mirror.

Fame and fortune is not my goal. Identity, self-esteem, excellence and peak experience are a more tangible goal.


Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X



13 Feb 2015

Morgan Freeman


“If you live a life of make-believe, your life isn't worth anything until you do something that does challenge your reality. And to me, sailing the open ocean is a real challenge, because it's life or death.” Morgan Freeman” What a better way to start my post by a great quote from another great actor, the well-respected & amazing, Morgan Freeman.

Morgan Freeman is a versatile actor who played a prisoner, a principal, a doctor, a speaker, the President and God among others characters. He is he famous for his acting skills and his silky voice as a narrator in several films. His voice is deep, unique, iconic and soothing to listen. 
I would do anything to have Morgan Freeman narrate my every move.

He has the ability to touch and inspire me. He is calm, collected, and cool.


I love him in all his film but I have to say my favourite is The Shawshank Redemption. This movie was made in 1994, and I lost the count of how many time I watched it, and I am still watching this now in 2015 and feel emotional. Each time I get something new from it.
I’d like to finish the message I get from this film by a quote: “No matter how bad your situation is, there's always hope if you have faith.”

Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. x

13 Jan 2015

You are so beautiful.

This illustration of Tom Feelings inspire me to write you are so beautiful.

You are so beautiful when you smile, smiling is shining.

You are so beautiful when you dance, dancing is moving.

You are so beautiful when you are you, being yourself is one of the key to success.

You are so beautiful when you’re free, freedom is awesome.



Be happy, do the best you can, be good and kind. X